In Darkness We Fall
by Shiori07
Summary: AU. The world was a dark, cruel place. That's what Kirito would say if you asked him. Humans were despicable beings as well, though being a cold-blooded killer himself, he doesn't have much room to talk. He and his partner, his best friend, Sinon, fight in an attempt to better this world. But a change is coming, and the very reason they fight may be shaken by its foundations.
1. Chapter 1: A Dark Life

Chapter 1: A Dark Life

_Click. Click. Click. _With each small sound, the image in the scope grew larger. A girl with short, powder blue hair laid on the concrete floor, a gun in her arms. This gun was pointed out of a window in an empty skyscraper. A chilling wind blew through the building, causing the girl to shiver and pull her muffler tighter around her neck. She had been sitting there for over an hour, waiting for a certain something to arrive at the building across town.

"Sinon." A voice crackled out of the radio beside her. "Any movement?"

"No." The girl, apparently named Sinon, answered. "Nothing yet. But it should happen any second now."

"If our information was right."

"You know that our information is never wrong."

"True, but I like to think that our employer has at least a few flaws."

"You and me both." It was silent for a moment. "You know, you don't have to be here. I could just do this myself."

A sigh sounded from the radio. "That would have been the case a year ago, but now they've tightened up security. The cars are most likely bulletproof, and even if you were able to get them out of the car, they would have force fields up or something. You need someone on the ground to clear a shot for you. Besides, where would the fun be if you just sniped and that was it?"

Sinon smirked at that. "Why must you love making things more difficult?"

She heard a soft chuckle. "That's just how I am."

Sinon put her eye to her scope again, a smirk still plastered on her face. It was silent after that. The sniper spent the time searching for her target along the busy street. Suddenly she spotted a black limousine.

"Kirito, approaching at your nine o'clock."

"Understood." The radio replied. "Intercepting. Watch my back."

"Always."

Down on the street below, a boy dressed all in black poked his head out of an alley and looked down the street. He could just see a black limo coming his way, a caravan of police cars surrounding it. He quickly pulled his head back inside the small space between buildings and pressed a button on his watch. Immediately, his appearance changed. Before, he had short, black hair and onyx eyes, but afterword, a dim light seemed to pass over him and his hair became long and more of a dark brown color while his eyes turned red. Then, he slipped onto the street.

It took a while for people to notice him, but as soon as they did, screams filled the air as people pointed at him, horrified looks on their faces. Some people ran, while others stood frozen until he looked at them and they scattered.

As the cars came closer, Kirito reached his hand backward and pulled his black sword from the sheath on his back. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he casually strode onto the street. The cars began to swerve, trying to avoid hitting the boy that had just walked onto the road, but Kirito just stood there.

As the limo sped towards him, he calmly sidestepped and slashed his sword along the length of the vehicle. It cut through the metal as if it were butter. The limo skidded to a stop several meters away from him. Kirito looked back at it almost indifferently before turning and striding toward it. People were scrambling out of the cars now, trying to organize a defense. Though, honestly, it was pointless.

A man was staring at the boy, his face pale. "It _is _him! The Black Swordsman!"

Kirito chucked darkly at the mention of his title. He found it quite fitting actually.

The guards immediately began shouting orders, but it just made Kirito roll his eyes. Humans could be so pitiful. He approached them calmly, letting his sword tip scrape ominously against the concrete. That's when they began to shoot at the swordsman, a fatal mistake.

Kirito raised his sword and used the flat of his blade to block the bullets that were speeding toward him. They ricocheted, some hitting the concrete, others embedding themselves in the flesh of those who shot them. The boy listened to their screams of agony before he descended upon them. It sent a pang through his chest, what he was doing, but he knew it had to be done.

Inside the skyscraper, Sinon was still surveying the scene through her scope. She was just watching Kirito as he dealt blow after decisive blow. The girl scoffed. "Show off." She continued to watch, her finger resting gently on the trigger, waiting for just the right moment to pull. There were still too many obstacles in front of the target and she would risk missing if she shot now.

Soon, bodies littered the ground, their blood beginning to form a large pool. Kirito's boots splashed as he walked toward the remaining police officers and the man that he had been hired to kill. The officers formed a barrier around the man as they shot round after round at Kirito, but he dodged effortlessly. When he was merely a few meters away, he dashed forward, almost too swiftly for the officers to see. Before they could react, however, they were a bloody mess on the ground.

The man remaining stared in horror at the scene that lay before him. Then, as Kirito stepped closer to him, the man crouched down in fear and pleaded "Don't kill me!"

Kirito smiled down at him, but knew that he would never get the chance to kill the man anyway. He could hear the police reinforcements. They were firing at him now, from atop buildings and the street behind him. He couldn't see where the gunfire was coming from, so he couldn't really do anything to stop it at the moment. Instead, he was forced to withdraw, disappearing into the shadows.

The man left on the ground looked around, filled with joyous relief. He got up, and ran toward his saviors. That was also a mistake. Just as he got up and began to run, Sinon calmly pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p>Kirito yawned as he walked inside the door into his apartment. He dropped the gym bag he was carrying onto the floor, and moved his head from side to side, stretching his neck out. He was back to his normal appearance now, his short, black hair slightly ruffled and his intense onyx eyes slightly dull due to his lack of energy.<p>

Suddenly, a voice tinkled throughout the apartment. "Welcome home, daddy!"

A small smile appeared on Kirito's face. "Hey, Yui. I'm home."

As soon as he finished speaking a small girl wearing a simple, pale pink dress came around the corner and ran toward him, her hair swishing at her waist. Kirito held his arms wide and the little girl jumped into them without hesitation. He swung her around a few times in a tight embrace before setting her down.

"It's your turn to cook today." A voice said from behind him.

Kirito sighed and turned around to look at the girl that was standing behind him. "Do I have to?"

The girl smiled. "Yes. I cooked yesterday."

"Mommy!" Yui said excitedly, before running toward Sinon.

Sinon laughed as she caught the little girl in a hug. "Hi, Yui. I see you missed us."

The interesting thing about this little girl, was she wasn't even a little girl at all. She was the operating system that was provided by Kirito and Sinon's employer. She was installed into their apartment, but there was a mobile unit that she could control and so she could walk and talk like she was human. It was quite amazing actually, you could barely tell she was a computer. Technology in this day and age was truly something. Yui was so advanced that she could feel actual emotions. That was how she felt close enough to Kirito and Sinon to call them "mommy" and "daddy," and not because she was programmed to say that.

That was another weird thing though, Yui called Sinon and Kirito "mommy" and "daddy," but they weren't together. They were best friends sure, but they didn't like each other _that _way. Besides, Kirito couldn't really see himself as a father because of his line of work and the fact that he was only sixteen.

"Now, about dinner." Sinon began as she looked back up at Kirito.

The boy sighed. "If you cooked yesterday, doesn't that mean we can have leftovers? I'll cook tomorrow . . . and why do you still look like that?"

Sinon looked down at herself. "Oh. I forgot to turn it off." She said, pulling out a compact mirror from her pocket. She shifted her large bag to the side before she flipped the small mirror open and touched several buttons that appeared on the inside. Immediately, her hair turned black and her eyes changed from indigo to brown. "Fine. We can have leftovers. But you won't get out of cooking tomorrow."

"Alright." Kirito grumbled.

Sinon stepped inside and toward the stairs that led upward. "Can you warm it up then?"

"Yeah." Kirito sighed.

As Sinon unlocked her door and stepped inside, he could hear her yell at him. "And don't forget to put your gear away."

"Yeah, yeah!" Kirito hollered impatiently. Then, he slipped off his shoes and picked up his bag again before walking to the stairs that lead downward, Yui at his heels.

He had long gotten used to living with Sinon. They're employer kind of required that they live in the same place, so there was really no choice, but they didn't mind. Besides, this particular apartment was provided by their employer himself, and it wasn't too shabby.

As Kirito opened the door into his room, he plopped on the ground and opened his bag. He sighed as he viewed the contents. That was just great, there was blood all over his favorite leather coat and boots. He would have to get those cleaned.

Yui sat down next to him and snuggled against his arm. "Your clothes are dirty." She said. "Would you like me to clean them for you?"

"That would be great, Yui. Thanks." Kirito answered. Usually he would do his own laundry, but you couldn't exactly throw leather into the washing machine. Yui would be more successful at cleaning these particular items than he would.

Placing those articles of clothing on the floor in front of Yui, Kirito opened another pocket and pulled out his long, black sword that was appropriately named "Elucidator." He slipped that and the bag under his bed before getting up to leave. That's when he remembered he still had his fingerless gloves in his pocket. He pulled them out and examined them quickly. Satisfied that they seemed to have escaped being tainted, he tossed them on the bed before opening his door and leaving his room, Yui right beside him, clutching his clothes to her chest.

He had just put the food on the stove, when Sinon came down the stairs. Kirito glanced at her and saw that she had changed, now wearing an oversized light blue sweater that dropped off one shoulder, a pair of shorts, and her usual pair of glasses. She only wore those when she wasn't on a job. When she was working, she wore contacts, since it was easier to look through her scope. She came to stand close by, staring out of the panoramic window that stretched across the wall. From here, there was a good view of the city below.

It was dark outside, and lights twinkled from the streets below. The view became even more serene as snowflakes began to fall.

"Where's Yui?" Sinon asked.

"She went to clean my coat and boots."

"I wonder why." Came a sarcastic response.

"It's not _my _fault!"

"Yes it is. I think you went a little overboard. There was practically a river of blood on the street." When Kirito remained silent, Sinon just sighed. "You could have been a little cleaner."

The boy shrugged. "It's not as easy as you think, Sinon . . . but a little extra payment would give me incentive." Then, his eyebrows scrunched together as a thought struck him. "Hey, Yui."

"Yes, daddy?" Yui's voice sounded through speakers throughout the room.

"Has our payment been deposited yet?"

"Yes. Payment was deposited an hour and eighteen minutes ago, with a message requesting a meeting at 23:00."

"A meeting?" Kirito mumbled.

"You're probably going to get a scolding." Sinon said snidely. Then her eyes widened as she looked at the stove. "Kirito, watch the food!"

Kirito whirled around, noticing the black smoke emanating from the pot. "Shit!" He cursed as he took a dishtowel and frantically swatted the pot with it. Sinon had trouble holding in a laugh, her friend looked so ridiculous. Then, she quickly rushed over to his side and turned the stove down, simultaneously moving the pot off the burner.

"You're so scatter-brained." The girl chided before lifting the cover and checking the miso soup inside. "It looks ok. A little burnt, but edible. Did you cook rice?"

"Um . . ." Kirito's eyes shifted to the side before he quickly dashed off to put rice in the rice cooker. Sinon sighed and turned her attention to the soup.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Kirito and Sinon were sitting at their dining table, just finishing up supper. The two of them sat at the heads of the small table while Yui sat between them, swinging her legs back and forth. She wasn't eating of course, but she liked sitting with Kirito and Sinon at mealtimes. She enjoyed the familial feeling that came with it.<p>

They were just about to clean up, when a message appeared on their window that also functioned as a screen. The message read: incoming call.

Kirito and Sinon briefly glanced at each other before the dark-haired boy turned toward his "daughter."

"Yui, could you, uh . . ."

She immediately understood and gave him a bright smile. "Yep!" She said cheerily, before hopping off her chair and moving to sit on the couch in the living room. Meanwhile, Kirito and Sinon quickly shoved all of the dishes in the sink before standing erectly in front of the screen. When they were composed, Kirito pressed his hand on the "answer call" icon that appeared.

A face popped up, filling the screen. It nodded at them politely.

"Good evening, Kirito. Sinon."

"Heathcliff." Sinon greeted in return.

This was their employer, Heathcliff, otherwise known as Akihiko Kayaba. To Japan, and more recently, the world, he was known as the greatest mind and inventor of the age. He created weapons and technology that people had only _dreamed_ of until he found a way to make them a reality. But he had another goal in mind to achieve as well: he wanted to end the war splitting Japan in two, and become the head of its new government. "Heathcliff" was the alias he wanted to be known by once that goal became reality.

"You both are looking well."

"Thank you, sir. You as well." Sinon replied. Kirito remained silent, allowing the girl next to him do all the talking. He didn't like Heathcliff that much – ok in truth he really didn't like anybody—and so he would only speak if he absolutely needed to.

"Thank you." Heathcliff said, though there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face. "Now, onto more pressing matters. I am aware that you completed the task I assigned you without incident. I appreciate the work you do in an attempt to aid this country . . . though, your methods, Kirito. I find them a bit unorthodox." The boy in question remained silent, so Heathcliff continued. "I understand that you are more battle oriented than Sinon is, but I believe that you could have been a tad . . . cleaner."

Kirito glanced at Sinon. She gave him a look saying "I told you so."

The boy groaned inwardly as he came to face Heathcliff once more. "That is the way I operate, _sir. _If you disagree with my methods, either increase my pay or hire another hit man."

Sinon's eyes widened slightly, and she almost elbowed Kirito to get him to hold off a bit. He was going a little too far.

Heathcliff eyed him for a moment before nodding. "Very well then. I shall increase your pay." Kirito simply nodded and Sinon let out a relieved sigh. "Now then. I would like the two of you to come in tomorrow afternoon. There is some new equipment that was developed that I think you will find interesting. But more to the point, you are aware just who your last target was, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Sinon replied. "He was the CEO of a large game system company who supplied weapons to the Union."

"Indeed. However, despite the fact that you 'assassinated' him, his company seems to be running normally. This has lead us to believe that the man you killed was a decoy."

"So what you're saying is you want us to find the real CEO and kill him?" Kirito asked coolly.

Heathcliff gave a nod. "Though, if the entire company came crashing down, then my hand may slip and add an extra zero to your next payment."

"Understood, sir. We'll look into it." Sinon reassured him.

"Excellent. I shall see you both tomorrow afternoon then." Heathcliff said before Sinon and Kirito gave short farewells.

As the image disappeared, revealing the glowing city below, Kirito sighed before making his way to the living room and plopping down next to Yui. The little girl cuddled close to him, pressing her face into his arm. The teen absent-mindedly brought his hand up to pat her head as Sinon came to sit on the other side of him.

"Kirito . . . you need to be more careful." Sinon said to him.

Knowing what she was talking about, Kirito groaned. "I knew what I was doing. Besides, no one else in the world has our skill. It's not like he can replace us in the blink of an eye."

The girl sighed. "I suppose."

There was a short silence until Kirito spoke. "Yui, what time is it?"

"Currently, it is 23:13."

The boy stood up and stretched. "Well, it's late. You can power down for the night, Yui, but run a program and conduct a search on Mintendo Corporation during the night."

Yui stood up and gave a cute salute. "Aye aye, daddy!" She said, before sitting on a chair by the wall. "Good night!" Then, it looked like she fell asleep as her small form curled up in her seat.

"Good night." Kirito answered. Then, as he began to walk down the stairs, he said "night, Sinon."

"Night." Sinon replied, before going back to her room.

* * *

><p>Kirito groaned as he heard the knocking sound that was coming from outside his door. It had been going on for a few minutes now, and Kirito had hoped that the person knocking would go away. But that obviously wasn't happening.<p>

The teen groaned again as the knocking got louder. Reluctantly, he rolled out of bed, scratching his stomach under his shirt as he made his way to the door. He had planned to go out and answer the front door. That was why he was surprised to find Sinon standing in her pajamas outside his door when he opened it.

He blinked. "Sinon?"

The girl was looking down at the floor. "Hey, Kirito."

It was quiet for a minute. "Do you need something?"

"Uh, yeah." She said quietly before lifting her head up to look into his eyes. "Can I . . . stay with you tonight? I had a nightmare."

If Kirito hadn't known Sinon as well as he did or hadn't understood what her nightmares were, he would have laughed and said that she was being childish.

The boy looked at her face for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Of course."

Sinon gave him a small smile. "Thanks." She said softly, before grabbing his hand and pulling him outside and up the stairs. He didn't complain as he closed the door behind them, allowing himself to be dragged. As Sinon reached the top of the stairs, she pulled Kirito's hand so that they were by the couch. It looked like she had already set up so they could spend the night. A few pillows and blankets were stacked neatly on the sofa.

The two of them sat there together, and seemingly out of habit, Sinon gently rested her head against Kirito's shoulder as he opened one of the blankets and threw it on top of the both of them. A pleasant silence followed as the two of them listened to the other's breathing. Eventually though, Kirito spoke.

"You're thinking about your dream aren't you?" He felt her nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sinon shook her head. "No. It's the same as always. The cages."

Kirito let out a slow breath. He still had that dream sometimes too, and it was none too pleasant. He grabbed her hand, which had been resting on her knee, and Sinon relaxed further.

"The world is a dark, cruel place, Kirito." She said suddenly. "You're the only thing that's good in the whole damned universe."

Kirito shook his head. "Don't say that. It's not true. I'm just as dark."

"No, you're not." Sinon insisted. "Humans are despicable. Their souls are black and corrupted. They do whatever cruel and twisted thing they can think of just to get what they want. But you? You're pure."

Kirito stayed silent. He had heard Sinon's views on humans before. Despite the fact that she _was _one, she hated them with all her heart, and he could guess why. He had just as much reason to hate them as she did. Maybe it was because she knew something he didn't or she had a personal grudge that he didn't know about, but for some reason, he didn't seem to hate them as much as she did. That didn't mean he liked them very much though.

The only person he truly liked was Sinon herself. It was probably because of all they had been through together and the seven years they spent as partners. They were best friends now, and Kirito couldn't imagine his life without her. It was the same the other way around too, he knew, and knowing these things made living this life bearable.

**Author's notes: Hello there! So this is an idea I've had for a while and I'm having problems with my other stories at the moment and this was on my computer so i thought "why not." Now this won't be my focus for a while because of my other stories so my updates won't be very regular right now, but i promise i will get to this. So please review and tell me what you think so far. See ya!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters.**


	2. Chapter 2: Their Commitments

Chapter 2: Their Commitments

Kirito was awake, but only just so. He laid there (more like sat there) on the couch with his eyes closed, enjoying the comfort he felt in that moment. It was warm under the blanket on his lap and peacefully quiet in the apartment. But most of all, he enjoyed the feeling of Sinon's body leaning against his, her soft breathing indicating that she was still asleep. Something about feeling her presence, knowing that she was beside him, gave him a warm feeling inside.

The boy sat there for a while, his eyes still shut, not wanting the moment to end. But something nagged at him to open his eyes. So he did . . . and jumped so violently, Sinon woke with a start.

Yui giggled from her place in front of him. Her face had been hovering disturbingly close to his.

"Good morning, daddy! Good morning, mommy!"

Sinon sat up and stretched her arms into the air. "Good morning." She yawned.

"Yui . . . morning." Kirito sat between pants.

"It is now 6:30! Time to get ready for school!"

Kirito groaned as Sinon got off of the sofa. "Ok. We'll get dressed." She said. Then she glared at her friend, who was now laying on his stomach, his body taking up the length of the couch. "Right, Kirito?"

He just groaned again, and with a sigh, Sinon went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and came back to the living room. She dipped her fingers inside, then flicked the water at Kirito's face. He just grunted in annoyance before turning his head so that he faced way from her.

Sinon put a hand on her hip. "Come on, Kirito. I don't like it either but we need to go." There was a long, drawn out 'no' in response. "Don't make me pour ice water on you again."

Kirito was suddenly sitting up. "I'm awake."

The girl gave him a sweet smile. "Great." Then she began to go up to her room. "And you cook breakfast this morning, since it's your turn."

"Right." Kirito muttered as he went down to his room to change.

He hated that skilled assassins like him and Sinon had to go to a stupid high school filled with annoying teenagers. But they didn't do it for kicks. The school they went to was near Tokyo, a neutral zone. Heathcliff sent them there on a regular basis in an attempt to gather information that might lead to the Tokyo area joining their side. But why them? Well, they were Heathcliff's only underlings who were the correct age.

Sinon was walking back down the stairs now, dressed in the uniform of the school, to see Kirito already in the kitchen, stirring some eggs in a pan.

They were both wearing the same thing for the most part. Each of them had on a white, button down shirt, a blazer, and a tie, though Kirito left his blazer unbuttoned while Sinon wore a skirt with knee socks instead of pants. Also, Kirito's tie was left hanging around his neck because, frankly, he couldn't tie one to save his life.

"Well look who's dressed." Kirito said as she came to stand next to him.

"I don't take _that _long." Sinon protested.

"'Well at least you're not like other girls who take an hour just to do their makeup."

"Then you're lucky I don't like makeup."

After this they set the table and said a quick thanks for the meal before hurriedly eating their breakfast and heading for the door.

"Bye, Yui." Kirito said as he slipped his shoes on by the doorway.

"Hey, wait a minute." Sinon said from the hall. She walked up to him with an exasperated expression. "You're tie isn't tied. How many times have I tried to teach you how to do it?" As she chided him, her hands went up to his neck and tied the offending piece of clothing for him.

Kirito just shrugged as he stood there, watching her. For some reason, he never took the time to learn or put much effort into learning. Maybe it was because he liked to bother Sinon by making her do it?

"There. We're ready now." Sinon said with a pat to Kirito's chest. Then she bent down and slid on her shoes. "Bye, Yui. We're heading out now."

"Ok! Take care of yourselves!" Said Yui's cheerful voice before the door closed.

Together, Kirito and Sinon made their way down to the first floor and out onto the street to take the bus. Kirito would have loved to take his motorcycle, but Sinon was wearing a skirt and she would probably kill him for exposing her underwear, even though it was the wind's fault.

On the bus, Kirito and Sinon sat together like they always did, in the back corner, silent as they watched other people boarding and leaving the bus. Being in a closed space with them always made the two uneasy.

As he sat there, Kirito couldn't help but feel a little out of place. The other people on the bus barely spared him a glance. As the Black Swordsman, people would take one look at him and die of fright. He supposed that those were just the perks of Heathcliff's disguises.

It was fifteen minutes before they reached the school. When they finally got there, the two disembarked from the bus and walked toward the school's front gates.

Most students looked at them as they passed. Of course none of them knew Kirito's and Sinon's alter egos, but they definitely found them to be an odd pair. They were siblings, as far as anyone was concerned, they looked well enough alike for that to seem true, but they never concerned themselves with anyone except each other.

After they had reached their classroom and the lecture began, Kirito soon became bored and instead rested his chin on his hand to stare out the window. He really hated going to school. It was filled with people and he was forced to sit through lectures on stuff he had already learned.

Pretty much the rest of the day went by like this, lunch the only solace. At this point, Kirito was bored out of his mind and took to sitting at a picnic table outside, his head down on the table. Not long after he got there, he heard someone settle in the space beside him. He knew it was Sinon before she even poked him on the shoulder. He looked up to see her sitting on the table, her legs crossed and a smile on her face as she held out a lump of rice to him on her chopsticks. When he just sat there and realized that she wasn't going to move anytime soon, he sighed and obediently opened his mouth.

A long time ago, he would have freaked out about sharing chopsticks with her, but this was Sinon, so he didn't really care. Besides, neither of them ate that much anyway, so it was pointless to pack a second lunch.

"Takahashi-kun?"

It took Kirito a second to realize that someone was talking to him and sit up. At school, he and Sinon got to keep their usual names, but Heathcliff had come up with some random surname for them to use.

Standing beside the table were two girls. One had long chestnut-brown hair while the other had really short brown hair held back by a clip.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" The one with long hair asked.

Kirito had half a mind to say 'no', but Sinon, the one who used her head more, smiled and said. "No. Go ahead." Their mission required that they 'blend in' and 'play nice'.

The girl smiled and she and her friend sat down opposite them. Kirito knew these two to be Asuna Yuuki and her friend, whose name he didn't really care about. Not that he cared about the Yuuki girl, it's just that she bothered him more than anyone else. She was always approaching him and Sinon in an attempt to be "friendly". Like right now.

"So. Winter break is coming up." Asuna began. "Do you guys have any plans?"

Kirito rested his chin in his hand, so Sinon took that as her cue to speak. "No, not really. We're planning on studying this break."

The swordsman almost laughed. Yeah, studying. Studying methods ti kill people with.

"Oh. Well that's not a bad thing to do. Will you at least be with family for Christmas?"

"Yep. It should be fun."

Soon, the conversation dwindled into nothingness, just as Kirito knew that Sinon wanted it to. The four of them sat there eating their lunches, Sinon offering some to Kirito every so often. Finally, the bell rang, signally for the students to head back to class.

"Well, we'll see you later." Asuna said politely before getting up with a "let's stop by the teachers' lounge, Rika" and leaving with her friend in tow. Kirito watched them leave.

"She's so annoying." Sinon complained.

"Mm-hm." Kirito hummed before standing up.

Sinon narrowed his eyes at him. "What do you think?"

He looked at her, eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

"You like her don't you?"

"What? Why would you think that?"

"She's pretty, she's smart, she's student council president—."

"You jealous?"

Sinon's cheeks reddened slightly. "No."

Kirito chuckled. "First of all, I hate people. You should know that. Second, I don't care who she is. And third, you are smarter and prettier than all the other girls at this school combined, including her."

Sinon eyed him suspiciously, as if not fully believing his claims. "You really think so?"

"I know so."

After a moment, she smiled and grabbed his arm, hugging it to her chest and pressing her cheek to his shoulder. "Let's get school over with already." She said as she pulled him forward.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed by very slowly for Kirito, but when they finally took the bus home, it was a relief. He and Sinon rushed inside, got changed and grabbed their gear before heading out again, assuring a downtrodden Yui that they would be home well before dinnertime. This time, to Kirito's delight, they took his motorcycle and he drove them to their destination. He really did love his bike, but it wasn't really the bike itself that he loved. What he enjoyed the most, was the feeling that he was free: the wind rushing by him and his ability to control wherever he went with a confident turn of his hands. He could tell Sinon liked it too by the way she laughed sometimes when he sped up quickly or made a large, wide turn that had their feet barely skimming the road.<p>

Kirito drove them around town for about twenty minutes before a large building with 'RCT Progress' on the side came into view. Per the usual, he drove around the back of the building toward where the garage for employees was located. As he slowed down a little by the entrance, Sinon pulled out a card and passed it over the scanner that was on a panel. The metal door made a grinding sound as it opened, but Kirito didn't wait for it to open all the way, he just sped inside when the opening was tall enough.

Inside, it was mostly dark, a few lights hung from the ceiling every now and then, but there wasn't much there. After parking his motorcycle near some cars, Kirito got off, Sinon right behind him, and made his way over to the elevator. Once they were inside, Sinon swiped her card again on a panel in the elevator before pressing the floor they wanted.

The lift was quiet as it smoothly began to move downward, underground. Kirito fingered the strap of his bag as they went, wondering what kinds of things Heathcliff wanted to show them.

Getting out, Sinon and Kirito walked through a lot of white and brightly lit halls, passing many people wearing lab coats along the way. Finally they reached a large room after scanning Sinon's card once more. There was a large desk in the back with a complex-looking computer interface on it. A few other desks and machines were around the room as well, but Kirito could only guess what they were for. What really caught his attention was the man in the room.

There, sitting behind the large desk, was Heathcliff. He was tall, with short, dark hair and a mole under his eye. Just looking at him, you could tell that he was an unprecedented genius. Kirito couldn't really explain it, maybe it was his eyes, but there was a certain intelligence in them (and something else, though Kirito couldn't quite place it).

As the two neared him, Kayaba looked up.

"Sinon, Kirito. I'm glad you came.

"We're glad to be here." Sinon said politely. "What did you have to show us?"

"It's over here." He said, standing and beckoning them to the left wall. They followed him over, dropping their bags by his desk along the way. At the wall, Kayaba typed something into a panel and a large rack slid out.

He reached up and pulled off what appeared to be a cylinder. Then he turned to Kirito and tossed it to him. Sinon and Kirito looked at it curiously as the boy caught it and turned it in his palm.

"You wanted to show me a piece of metal?"

Heathcliff ignored Kirito's sarcasm. "This is a new sword I have been developing for you. Go ahead and push the switch on the side."

Kirito shrugged as he did what he was told. As he pushed the switch, a dark violet blade buzzed into existence. His eyebrows rose in surprise. "What is this?"

"A photon sword. Put simply it is a carefully controlled laser."

Kirito frowned as he slashed the weapon downward. "It's cool, but it's light."

"Well, duh. It's a laser." Sinon said with a smirk.

"You know what I meant!"

"It's not supposed to weigh much." Kayaba continued. "Since you have been doing more than a few stealth missions lately, I designed this for speed." Here, he pulled a black handgun down. "This is your back-up."

Kirito turned off his sword and took the gun into his hand gingerly. He didn't really like guns, they were more Sinon's specialty. He preferred the reliable weight and steel of a sword in his hand.

Testing the sight by aiming at the wall, Kirito spoke. "Well, at least it's in black."

Next, Kayaba took a large rifle down and held it out to Sinon. "And this is the latest model of your sniper rifle, Sinon. The Hecate II." Sinon stared at it in awe as she took it into her arms. "It's made of a lighter metal alloy and can shoot greater distances. The action should be smoother as well."

". . . Thank you." Sinon said gratefully, running her fingers along the side.

It was obvious by now that Sinon held Heathcliff in higher regard than she did others. Kirito didn't really feel the same way, but he could understand why she respected the man. He had technically saved them, after all.

"Of course." The man said. Then he glanced at a door just beside the rack. "Before you take them with you, I was hoping that you could test them. I'll do maintenance on your other equipment in the meantime."

"Sure." Kirito said. He was already grabbing magazines and a belt from the rack. Sinon did the same, and soon after, the two of them were heading through the door. Inside was an even larger room. It was about the size of a soccer field with a high ceiling, white walls and a floor covered in a grid of some kind.

"What do you feel like today?" Sinon asked as she went to a panel in the wall.

Kirito thought about it. "It's been cold lately, so . . . desert landscape?"

His friend nodded, typing something and soon, they were surrounded by dessert sand and a few rock formations. The sniper eyed their surroundings critically. Suddenly, she pointed to a large rock. "I'll take position up there. Give me a minute before you start."

Kirito nodded as Sinon rushed off. He started his mental timer and slowly walked into the middle of the room. In doing so, he unclipped his new sword from his belt. Then he drew his gun, holding it like could burst into flames at any second. Steeling himself, he griped it firmly, placing his fingers where they were supposed to go.

"Begin program."

A few seconds after he issued the command, guns fired from a distance and bullets shot passed him. The swordsman eyed the place he knew they had come from before sprinting off in their direction.

It actually surprised Kirito that he could move so fast as he fought these virtual enemies. This new sword wasn't very heavy, so his strength turned to speed instead. It still felt odd though, it wasn't a fighting style he was used to.

Several minutes later, Kirito noticed that someone with a minigun had appeared. He was too far away to do anything about it, and he couldn't run away because he would be riddled with bullets. So, instead, he brought up his handgun and aimed it at the man's head when he had an opening. If he fired now, he would be safe. Feeling confident, Kirito pulled the trigger.

It was stuck.

Eyes widening, Kirito looked down at his gun and attempted to pull his finger back. It wouldn't budge. What the hell? Did Heathcliff give him a defective gun?

The swordsman stared at the minigun. He was so dead.

Apparently, this was not so, because the instant he thought that, a hole appeared in the gunman's head and he shattered.

Currently, Sinon was on top of the rock formation she had pointed out, laying on her stomach. She had been sniping this whole time, and was very pleased with her new gun. Even though she was still wearing her glasses, it was easy to see through the scope. The action was smooth as well, with less of a kickback. She really thought that Kayaba had outdone himself this time.

Now, she was watching Kirito through her scope. He was staring at the place where she had just sniped the guy with the minigun, saving his life. Slowly, he turned his head toward the place where he knew she was shooting from. He seemed to look right at her as he gave her a nervous smile and an equally nervous wave.

Sinon smiled, shaking her head, as if asking herself what to do with him. Typical Kirito. She had seen what had happened, he had tried to use his gun but failed miserably. She would have to give him another lesson about firearms.

Just then, Kirito was attacked by more soldiers and was forced to resume fighting. Sinon continued sniping, the calm of aiming her gun and pulling the trigger causing her thoughts to wander. Unfortunately, an image flashed through her mind. A bloody Kirito was on the ground, his body still, face as pale as death.

Sinon's heart clenched painfully. Kirito had always done the protecting, even if he knew he would probably die. But now that Sinon was who she was, it was her turn. Now she had the ability to protect him.

* * *

><p>Later, Sinon met Kirito back down in the sand.<p>

"How's your gun?" He asked.

She smiled. "Great. Better than Hecate I. What about you?"

He shrugged. "The sword is fine I guess, but it's something that I'll need time to get used to. I think the gun is broken though."

"Really? Let me see it."

Obediently, Kirito took his gun off his belt and handed it over. Sinon inspected it briefly before aiming it into the distance. A loud explosion rang out as she pulled the trigger.

"It looks fine to me." She said, handing it back.

Kirito gaped at her. "What? I don't understand."

"Did you remember to take the safety off?"

Her friend stared at her for a second before finally face palming. ". . . Dammit." Sinon laughed as Kirito looked back up at her. "Should I practice aiming before we go then?"

Sinon thought about it. "No. I think you should be fine. It doesn't have much kickback. Anyway, it's almost 18:00."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Oh yeah. Visiting hours end soon."

The sniper grabbed his hand. "Well? Come on!" She quickly rushed him out of the room, turning off their training program as she went. Heathcliff met them in the next room.

"How was it?"

"Great." Sinon answered. "We'll take them."

The man nodded. "Good. They should come in great use in the future."

"Well now that we've seen these new toys." Kirito said, almost impatiently. "Do you think we could leave now? We want to see her before going home."

Kayaba eyed them for a moment, and it looked as if he would deny their request.

"Alright. I don't see why not."

* * *

><p>The hospital seemed cold and empty as Sinon and Kirito were led along its halls. This was due to several reasons, like the fact that most of the staff had gone home. But another was because Kirito was glaring at their guide in disgust. His name was Nobiyuki Sugou. Kirito hated him, more than he did other people. Normal people were evil and manipulative, but Sugou was practically the scum of the Earth. He was greedy and arrogant as well as evil in a sick way. Kirito could not understand how he was allowed into Heathcliff's inner circle. He didn't have anything like his leader's calm, collected intelligence. He was the kind of person you wanted to keep women and children away from. But apparently, he had <em>something <em>to offer, because he was put in charge of this hospital and the research going on there in collaboration with RCT Progress.

Sugou led them along and finally arrived at the room they had wanted. He typed in a code and the door slid open.

"You have ten minutes." He informed them before walking away.

Kirito eyed him warily before following Sinon through the door. Inside was a small observation room with nothing but a large pane of glass on the left side. On the other side of the glass, was a quarantined hospital room with a bunch of equipment and a single bed inside. Kirito stood by Sinon at the glass and looked at the person in the bed. She was a small, frail looking girl, with short brown hair and what Kirito knew to be brown eyes (she was sleeping). Despite the way she looked, this girl was only fifteen, a year younger than the two visiting her. The reason she looked so aged was because of one, cruel reason: cancer.

"Yuuki." Sinon whispered.

As if she had heard her name being called, Yuuki stirred before waking up. Her eyes fluttered open as she came to stare at the two people on the other side of the glass. Her face lit up instantly, her eyes and smile brightening up the room, the way Kirito remembered she always did. At heart, Yuuki was like a child, playful and innocent, brightening everyone's day with her laugh and her smile.

"Onii-chan. Onee-chan." She whispered hoarsely.

"Hey, Yuuki." Sinon said with a smile. "How are you doing?"

They could see her shrug. "I've been better. How are you guys? You're training?"

"We're ok, I guess." Kirito said, deciding to join the conversation. "And training's not half bad, but it would be better if you were there."

Sinon nodded in agreement. "We miss you, Yuuki. It's not the same without you."

". . . I miss you guys too." Yuuki admitted sadly.

It was quiet as a feeling of sadness swept over the three of them. If it hadn't been for Yuuki's illness, Sinon and Kirito would be seeing her every day. But because she had to stay in the hospital for treatment that hadn't been fully tested yet, they could only see her with permission.

Kirito suddenly put his hand to the glass, his smile returning. "Just get well soon so we can be together again, ok?"

Besides Sinon, Yuuki was the person he liked most in the world. The three of them shared a past, a painful one but it had led him to meet the people who now meant the most to him. And he wouldn't trade them for anything.

Sinon put her hand next to his, a smile on her face as well. "We'll always be waiting for you. Remember that."

Yuuki smiled at this, her hand lifting up. It stretched toward the window, the barrier between them that was so close and yet so far away at the same time. "Ok. I will."

**A/N: Hey! Happy New Year! So i know that this has taken a while, but i had writer's block and school started again earlier this week so I've been busy. Anyway, i hoped you liked this chapter. I'm not sure if it lived up to the last one, but i think it's okay. It's mostly a development chapter for both the characters and the setting. Leave a review please and i will see you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Shadow of Things to Come

Chapter 3: The Shadow of Things to Come

"Kirito? . . . Kirito . . . Hey, Kirito!"

"Huh?" The boy in question asked. He was leaning against the dinner table, staring at the screen in front of him intently. On it, were several of the many documents Yui had managed to compile about Mintendo Corporation.

Sinon stood next to him, her hands on her hips. "We've been looking at this stuff for hours now. I think it's time we go to bed."

Kirito was still looking at the window-screen. "I'd prefer if we got this job done as soon as possible."

The girl sighed. Kirito could be so stubborn sometimes. Of course, she could be that way too, but she preferred it when she was the only one. She looked around briefly before walking into the living room and sitting on the couch.

"At least sit over here with me?" She asked.

Kirito glanced over at her. Oh no. She was giving him the eyes. There was no saying 'no' to that.

". . . Fine." He replied. Taking a PAD (similar to the 'tablet' from a couple decades ago, only thinner and see-through) from the table, Kirito went to the window and swiped a few documents onto the smaller device. Then he turned the larger one off before going to sit next to Sinon. She hugged his arm as she peered at what he was looking at.

"So what have we found out so far?"

"Well, we now know that the company has several warehouses throughout Tokyo, but their main building is just north of the city, right on the edge of enemy territory. We also know that the main employees work in that building, but the CEO is out of the country right now, and should be gone for a week or two."

"What about security?"

"They have guards, video cameras, the usual. It should be easy enough to penetrate. The question is 'how do we do that?'"

"Hm." Sinon hummed thoughtfully. "We can't just assassinate the CEO anymore. His employees would just continue and pick another president."

"Before we take any action, I think we should check out the warehouses, make sure that we have the right addresses."

Sinon nodded against Kirito's shoulder, and it was quiet for a few minutes. She watched as Kirito's eyes scanned over the screen, his eyes moving back and forth. "So are you going to go to bed anytime soon?"

"In a few minutes."

"Daddy." Yui's voice sounded in a stern tone. "You shouldn't stay up too late. It's not healthy."

Kirito chuckled. "Don't worry, Yui. I'll go to bed soon."

"Hm." Sinon didn't really believe him. "Well, tell me when you're ready."

The boy looked at her. "You don't have to wait for me, you know."

"I know."

Kirito shrugged. "Alright."

So, the two of them sat there for a long while, Sinon leaning against Kirito as she watched him work. After a while, she yawned and repositioned herself so that she was lying down, using Kirito's leg as a pillow. Absent-mindedly, his hand began to stroke her hair. Sinon smiled, finding that soothing.

When Kirito realized that it was about midnight, he put his PAD down on the armrest and stretched his arms into the air.

"Sinon." He said. "Time for bed." When she didn't answer, he frowned and leaned forward so he could see her face. "Sinon?" Then he realized that she was sound asleep. He gave a sigh. "And you tell me that _I'm_ the irresponsible one."

As carefully as he could, Kirito slipped his leg out from under Sinon's head so he could stand up. Once he had accomplished that, he stood in front of the sofa, looking down at his partner.

"Mommy fell asleep." Yui whispered. Her mobile unit had just walked up behind Kirito's elbow.

"Mm-hm."

"What are we going to do?"

Kirito looked at the sleeping girl a little longer. "I should probably carry her to bed. You want to help me?"

Yui smiled. "Uh-huh."

Bending down, Kirito took Sinon's glasses off and hooked them onto the collar of his shirt. Then, he scooped Sinon up, bridal style. Her head lolled onto his chest as her arms crossed over her stomach. Kirito couldn't help but smile to himself as he began to climb the stairs. As he reached the top, Yui opened the door for him and he stepped inside.

Sinon's room was, for lack of a better word, simple. It's not that it was plain, Kirito actually found it to be nice, it was just set up more for function than for style. That's just the way Sinon was, not really caring how things looked. Rather, she cared more about convenience and if something performed adequately. A bed was in the corner with plain sheets on it. Similar colored curtains were hanging from her window. A closet was opposite the foot of the bed, and a table sat just under the window.

As Yui scurried over to pull the covers back, Kirito walked up to the bed. As he came to stand by the table, he saw the picture frame standing next to the lamp. It was a picture of him, Sinon, and Yuuki. It had been taken when Kayaba had first taken them in, and Yuuki was still healthy. She was in the center, Kirito and Sinon on either side of her. They were all smiling, though, Kirito looked a little paler than he should have. It wasn't his fault, he had still been recovering at the time.

Kirito braced his knee on the bed as he laid Sinon down. He had to pry her fingers from his shirt, but other than that, it was easy, for she was really light. After he pulled the blanket over her and set her glasses on the table, Kirito watched her sleep for a minute before turning to leave.

As Kirito quietly left the room, Yui spoke.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Yui?" He asked as he softly shut the door.

"You care about mommy a lot, don't you?"

He blinked down at her, surprised. "Yeah, I guess. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Yui said with a smile, grabbing Kirito's hand. As she led him down the stairs, she began to speak again. "Now, daddy, you need to go to sleep. It is currently 0:18, and you have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be sure to go to bed right away."

"You better." Yui said sternly, puffing her cheeks out in seriousness.

Kirito laughed, putting his hand on Yui's head affectionately. "I promise. Don't worry. Now you shut down for the night too, ok?"

"Ok." Yui smiled again. "Good night." She said, giving her 'dad' a hug.

"Good night, Yui." He said before she scurried to her usual chair. As he watched her curl up, he decided that he should probably do as he promised, or else Yui would be cross with him. And so, he made his way to his bedroom, but not before grabbing a PAD along the way.

* * *

><p><em>The little boy kicked and squirmed, trying to get away from his captors. He didn't know who they were or where he was, but he knew that he didn't belong there with them.<em>

_ "Stay still, brat!" One of the men said, obviously annoyed. The little boy squirmed for a little while longer before finally growing still. His dark, onyx eyes were intense, full of defiance, but as they looked around, his spirit left him a little. _

_They were going down a dark hallway now. It was lined with multiple cages on each side, seeming to go on forever, but what was most disturbing, were the many eyes staring out at him. They were all children's eyes. Some looked out at him pleadingly, their faces full of despair. As the boy's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he began to notice the children who weren't looking out of the bars. Instead, they sat against the wall in the back, staring listlessly at the wall or the stone floor, their expressions devoid of any emotion at all._

_Eventually, the men stopped and one let go of the boy, but only to unlock and open an empty cage. They threw him in unceremoniously before slamming the door shut and locking it again with a loud 'click'._

_Impatiently brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, the boy ran to the bars, clutching them with his hands. "Hey." he growled darkly, but they were already a long way down the hall. "Hey!" the boy tried again. He had something to ask them about. He didn't care if they would beat him for it, but he had to know what happened to her._

"_They won't listen to you."_

_The boy whirled around at the voice and his eyes landed on a girl in the cage next to his. She had short, black hair that fell around her shoulders and brown eyes that seemed dull and lifeless as they stared at the ground. All the boy could do was stare at her as she continued to speak._

"_It doesn't matter how hard you plead, or how loud you scream, they won't listen. Trust me, I've tried. And it doesn't matter if you don't belong here either, no one does, and yet here we are."_

"_. . . What do they want with us?"_

_The girl shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they just want us to die."_

_The boy just sat on the floor, thinking her words over. That couldn't be all to the story. There _had_ to be something else. But for the girl to have that mindset . . . it made the boy feel sorry for her._

_He crawled over to the side of his cage, so that he was as close to the girl as possible, and sat down._

"_My name's Kazuto Kirigaya. What's yours?"_

_ The girl just looked at him, her eyes slightly narrowed. It was quiet for a while, and Kazuto thought that she wouldn't answer._

_ " . . . Asada. Shino Asada."_

* * *

><p>Kirito's eyes suddenly opened and he came to stare at the ceiling. He hadn't woken up because of an alarm or because of some internal clock. It had been the dream. But it wasn't simply the dream that had woken him, he had had plenty of dreams that had made him relive his past before. No, it's what came after.<p>

He sighed. It slightly amused him to think that his subconscious had woken him in an act of mercy, but he knew that the dream would continue when he went back to sleep again.

Feeling restless, Kirito sat up and got out of bed. He didn't waste time getting dressed for the day, he just walked up the stairs in his night cloths. It was still, and very quiet there. Everything was how he had left it the previous night, even Yui was still asleep in her chair. A soft light was slowing entering in through the windows as the sun rose in the cloud covered sky. It was a serene white in the city below, informing the swordsman that it had snowed in the night.

Kirito went to the window and looked down at the snow-blanketed buildings. He felt itchy in an irritated sort of way, like he needed to move, do something. Finally, he pushed open one of the windows. Chilling air hit him like a truck, but Kirito didn't mind. To him, it felt nice. He stood there for a while, leaning against the divide between the lower and upper parts of the glass. The upper part was almost like a small roof or awning, shielding him from any drifting snowflakes.

"Daddy, are you ok?"

Kirito turned his head to look behind him. Yui's mobile unit was standing there, looking up at him in an innocent, worried way. He tried to smile at her. "Good morning."

She was quiet for a second. "Your heart rate is more rapid than normal and your pupils are dilated."

The dark-haired boy stared at her for a moment before sighing and looking out into the winter air. "I guess I'm not ok then."

He looked down when he felt a tug on his shirt and saw Yui beside him. "Do you feel like talking about it?"

Kirito gave her a small smile as he drew her into a side hug. "No. It's just . . . I had a dream. It's always the same one playing in my head over and over again. There's not much to say anymore."

". . . Have you told mommy about them?"

He looked down at her. "Sinon doesn't need anything else to worry about."

"But maybe she can help you. She'd want to if she knew."

Kirito opened his mouth to answer, paused, then closed it again. He knew that Yui was right.

Suddenly, they heard the door upstairs open and close, followed by soft footsteps padding down the stairs.

". . . Morning guys." Sinon muttered as she reached the foot of the stairs, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Morning."

"Good morning, mommy."

Sinon looked from Kirito to Yui, almost suspiciously, as she came to stand beside them. "What are you guys doing up already?"

Kirito shrugged. "I was planning on working a little before school, but Yui kept me from it." This wasn't exactly a lie, earlier he had been considering researching more about their target.

"Well good for you, Yui." Sinon said, rubbing the girl on the head affectionately. "He works too much anyway." Yui smiled in the adorable way that only she could do. Kirito smiled at them until he noticed that Sinon was trying to keep herself from shivering as she rubbed her arms up and down. He turned back to the window and collapsed the stand that held it open and gently let it down.

"Why don't we have breakfast?" He asked.

"That sounds nice." Sinon smiled as she turned to go set the table. As her back was turned, Yui looked at Kirito with a meaningful expression. He just smiled at her and placed his hand on her head affectionately before following Sinon into the kitchen.

It was better if they kept his dreams a secret.

* * *

><p>The wind whipped around them as Kirito wove his motorcycle between cars and down the street. Sinon was sitting behind him, their gear right behind her.<p>

"Hey, Sinon." Kirito muttered.

"Hm?" She asked, leaning forward slightly to face him.

"I was thinking . . . what if we made a mobile holographic system?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, it could have any number of uses, but mainly I want to make it for Yui."

"Yui?"

"Yeah. Her mobile unit can only stay inside the apartment because that's where her main data is stored and where she draws power from. Maybe one day we can take her out."

Sinon rested her head against Kirito's back. "That would be great. But wouldn't there be problems keeping her materialized out in the open?"

"I've thought about that." Kirito said as the bike turned a corner. "Holograms are light particles held together by force fields, and depending on their programming, holograms can be solid or tangible. It's like in the training room, the landscape is programmed to be solid while certain characters allow real objects to pass through them."

The sniper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What characters?"

Kirito shrugged. "You know, like bystanders who aren't important when we train for real life situations."

". . . Like bombings."

"Yup. Maybe we could use that setting to attach a device that will hold Yui's solid matrix together while she's away from a holographic system." Sinon thought about this as Kirito slowed to a stop in an alleyway between two skyscrapers. While the bike idled, Sinon took off her helmet and slipped off of the back with an attaché case.

"You really like that case." Kirito commented as he took the helmet.

"Well of course." Sinon said. "It holds the gun components better than a bag does."

"If you say so." Kirito said. Maybe he couldn't really appreciate that because he was a swordsman, not a gunman. "I'll be back later."

"I know. Be careful, Kirito."

"I'm always careful."

Sinon raised an eyebrow.

". . . Ok. I'm careful most of the time."

The girl still didn't look convinced, but apparently she found that to be an acceptable answer and dropped the subject. They both waved in farewell as the motorcycle sped away.

* * *

><p>Kirito went to scope out three warehouses that night. He would drive to each one, hide his bike in an alley, and go to the warehouse under the guise of the Black Swordsman. Out in the open, he was Kirito in an attempt to keep his two identities separate. Normally, he would have been really on edge doing this with the chance of getting captured andor discovered, but Sinon was watching him from across town, ready to radio him if she saw anything. She was like a second pair of eyes, but more versatile.

"They're in this one." Kirito said into his radio. He was at the last warehouse, staring at it from an alley nearby.

"It has to be." Sinon's voice crackled back. "The other warehouses came up empty." This was true, searching the others, all Kirito had been able to find were consuls and video games.

"Let's just get this over with." Kirito muttered as he made his way over. "Watch out for extra security, Sinon."

"Got it."

Kirito crept toward the warehouse, careful to keep in the shadows. He scanned the building. Thankfully, there were no guards, but he did spot cameras hanging from the eaves. As the cameras rotated, Kirito rushed up to a side door. He drew Elucidator from its sheath and slashed the chain. It broke with a loud 'clink' and dangled from the handle.

Once inside, Kirito rushed to the power box and shorted it out. Everything went black. The backup generators would kick-in in ten minutes, but this would give ample to look around without having to worry about cameras.

"What do you see in there?" His radio hissed.

The boy sighed. "More crates." He said as he walked over to them. He looked said items over before pulling out Elucidator and fitting it under the cover of one of the boxes. With one shove downward, the top came off, and all Kirito had to do was slide it off and onto the floor.

"Bingo." He said, for inside he found several dozen ammunitions magazines. "Found 'em." Kirito said as he pressed the button to speak on the radio at his hip.

"Finally." Sinon muttered. "Now place the tracker and get out of there."

Kirito selected a magazine and popped a bullet out. Then, he pulled an identical one from his pocket and replaced it. A few minutes later, Sinon's voice crackled out of his radio again.

"Kirito, a car just pulled up front."

"What?" The boy asked as he finished putting the lid of the crate back on.

"You must have triggered a silent alarm."

Kirito went to duck behind more crates. "How many are there?"

"About six, but there may be more in back."

"Six huh? Don't shoot. I may be able to sneak out." They should be easy to handle. But the problem was how much blood would be spilt if he dealt with them in his usual way. It would blow his cover and the point of this mission was to go in and get out, leaving no trace.

The front entrance was pushed open and several gunmen rushed in. They ran to different parts of the room, guns drawn as they surveyed the area. But that's not what caught Kirito's attention. Following the soldiers in was someone who was obviously their commanding officer. The uniform was a different, red and white design, and a silver rapier hung at her waist. However, the detail that stood out the most was this girl's long, chestnut-brown hair.

Asuna Yuuki? She was with the Union?

Kirito was utterly surprised by this. He hadn't even the slightest suspicion that this girl was with the enemy. And how was she even a high ranking officer?

He pushed his surprise out of his mind. He would have to speculate later. Right now, he had to focus on escaping. He looked at his surroundings. If he timed it right, he could slip out the way he had come and none of these people would be any wiser.

The boy tensed up, readying himself to pounce at the best opportunity.

"Gotcha."

Kirito felt something cold touch the back of his head.

"Turn around. Hands up."

Slowly, Kirito did as he was told. "Don't shoot." He said before he discreetly took his hand off of the button on his radio and put his hands in the air.

"No funny business. Got me?" The man asked. He looked scruffy, to say the least. He had a bandana tied around his head and a small, scraggly beard.

"I got him!" The man said loudly as he moved Kirito out into the open. The other soldiers turned and cautiously trained their guns on him. Soon, Kirito was in the center of the room, completely surrounded.

"Good work." Asuna said from across the room.

Kirito looked around at them all in a calculating fashion, contemplating his situation.

"Well if it isn't the Black Swordsman."

The boy in question looked up at her nonchalantly. "Yep. Looks like you caught me. And who are you, if I may ask?"

"Lightning Flash Asuna." She answered coldly.

"Lightning Flash, huh?" Kirito mused. "And that uniform, don't you think that's all a little gaudy?"

"I could say that your black outfit is a bit cliché and that you look kinda like a girl, but does it matter?" Asuna asked. "We have you now so either come quietly or I will bring you in by force."

A vein pulsed in Kirito's temple. It's not that he _chose _to look this way. Heathcliff had, saying that it was to leave an impression upon their enemies. They really had to have a talk.

"Take me where? And for that matter, how are you going to do that, _Lightning Flash?_ We both know that I could take out your entire squadron in the blink of an eye."

The girl narrowed her eyes and pulled out the sword from her hip.

"Oh ho." Kirito taunted. "_You'll_ take me on then?" He asked as he pulled out his black sword. Neither of them said anymore as they took up position, eyeing each other, the soldiers knowing to stay out of the fight.

Asuna attacked first, sprinting at Kirito with her rapier aimed at his chest. The boy was slightly surprised by her speed as he parried her blow. He countered by slashing his sword downward. Asuna ducked and lunged, aiming her sword for Kirito's shoulder. It would have struck home, but Kirito sidestepped, albeit only enough to have it graze him. He returned the favor though, by striking a blow to her leg.

Meanwhile, Asuna's squadron was looking on in awe. They had never known anyone to even come close to matching either one of these legendary swordsman. Now they were battling it out, seeming to move like blurs across the floor.

The two swords clashed again, this time locking together. Asuna glared with obvious hatred while Kirito looked at her with a neutral expression.

"You've never killed before, have you?'

"What?" Asuna growled.

Kirito looked at her for a second. "It's in your eyes. They don't have the intensity of someone who has deliberately killed before. Also, you have been purposely avoiding any fatal blows this whole time."

"I don't need your critique." Asuna spat before she shoved her sword upward, pushing her opponent's weapon away from her. Then, she lunged again, this time stabbing Kirito in the shoulder. He grunted in frustration and pain before he decided to give this battle his all. He slashed downward. Asuna blocked. He slashed again. The girl blocked once more. Soon, Kirito was sending blow after blow at the Lightning Flash, his strength along with his sudden speed temporarily overwhelming her. All she could do was block, and sometimes not even that. Kirito was moving so fast and striking so hard, she was having trouble holding her sword. On top of that, Kirito was beginning to land blows. Her legs, arms and even torso were beginning to get damaged.

Before Asuna could recover from this sudden burst of power, Kirito got the upper hand.

The Lightning Flash's sword flew into the air and clattered onto the concrete. Kirito smirked at her. "I think I've won this fight." He said, and just when the soldiers were about to open fire, he slipped something out of his pocket and threw it onto the ground.

A smokescreen diffused out of the small device, rapidly engulfing them all. Asuna began to cough violently, along with the others. Their eyes stung and it was impossible to see anything. Apparently, Kirito wasn't bothered by this one bit because, when the smoke cleared, he was gone.

"Spread out and find him!" Asuna yelled. The soldiers scrambled, spreading out and going in pursuit of the Black Swordsman. Only Asuna stayed behind, along with the man who had found Kirito behind the crates. "Klein, what are you still doing here?" Asuna snapped.

"Trying to keep my commander from hurting herself." Klein deadpanned. "Sit down, _Commander_. You're bleeding."

The Lightning Flash hesitated before she begrudgingly did as she was told, knowing that she was bleeding badly. Klein walked over to her and knelt down, taking out a small first-aid kit. As he set to work, he noticed that Asuna looked distracted, staring out into the distance as if she were contemplating something.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he cleaned her wound.

". . . Nothing." Asuna muttered. "Just thinking." She continued to stare into the shadows, a vision of the Black Swordsman stuck in her brain.

_Could he really be just like me?_

**A/N: Ok. So i got a review asking about the holograms right? First of all, let me say that i am not coming up with all of that on my own. I watched Star Trek: Voyager recently and it inspired a bunch of futuristic tech. Anyway, Kirito being the awesomely cool guy he is was able to tell you a bit about the basics of holographic technology in this story. On a slightly different note, i went back and made the "training chamber" in the last chapter a full soccer field in size. I'm usually not worried about little details because i like to give the mind off the reader a little creative freedom, but half a field IS small when i think about it. And anyway, the point of the room is to give the illusion that the person using it is in a larger space.**

**Also, i know that people have asked for more action, and trust me, there WILL be more, but action will not be the main focus of this story. Personally, i like stories that have action and a good plot in them rather than just a bunch of fight scenes .**

**Well i hope that i have cleared stuff up and that you liked this chapter (and the fight scene that i had in it. i am usually better at those). Please review!**


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